Kawhi Leonard delivered a dominant 39-point performance to lead the LA Clippers to a crucial 105-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series, marking a return to health after years of injury struggles. Leonard shot 15-for-19 from the field and either scored or assisted on 51 of the Clippers’ 105 points (49%).
Leonard’s return to playoff form stands in stark contrast to last season, when knee inflammation forced him to miss most of the Clippers’ first-round series against Dallas, eventually being shut down ahead of Game 4 in what became a painful end to their championship hopes.
Leonard’s health struggles continued into this season, limiting him to just 37 games as he focused on strengthening his knee for the playoffs.
“I’m just happy that I’m able to move,” Leonard said after the game. “That’s what I’m taking pride in is just being healthy. I sat and watched these playoff games and series the past two years. So being able to be frontline out there, it just feels good for me no matter which way the game goes.”
Leonard was equally impactful on defense, holding Nuggets players to just five points on 2-of-12 shooting when he was the primary defender. Leonard’s crucial steal on a Nikola Jokic pass with 38 seconds remaining helped secure the victory with the Clippers leading by just three points.
Despite facing criticism for his limited availability in recent years, Leonard has remained focused on the present rather than dwelling on past injuries.
“Tonight, s—, I don’t feel like he missed a shot,” James Harden said of Leonard’s performance. “His shotmaking ability is elite. And that’s the aggressiveness that we need from him. Doesn’t matter what’s going on, or who’s guarding him, he just got to a spot and raised up. He’s a big-time player.”
“It’s always negative. It’s always what he’s been through and what he’s not able to do just because of something that he can’t control,” Harden added, defending Leonard from load management criticism. “But we don’t appreciate how great he is when he’s actually out there and putting on performances like this tonight.”
“Anybody in the business that’s playing and knows how hard it is to either to come back from injury or just even playing in the NBA, they understand what we all go through, what I go through,” Leonard said.